UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Hamas to proceed with the planned release of hostages, following the Palestinian group’s announcement that it would halt the exchange.
Guterres emphasized the importance of preventing a return to violence in Gaza, warning of the potential for a devastating tragedy.
On Monday, Hamas declared it would stop releasing Israeli hostages, citing Israeli violations of a ceasefire agreement and accusing Israel of not meeting its commitments, including on aid and the deaths of three Gazans on Sunday.
The ceasefire, which began on January 19, had successfully ended over 15 months of conflict, facilitating the release of several groups of hostages in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, announced that the next planned release of hostages, set for Saturday, would be postponed indefinitely.
The delay was made public five days in advance to allow mediators time to pressure Israel into compliance with the terms of the agreement.
In response, Israel indicated its military was preparing for any potential developments. Tensions escalated further when US President Donald Trump threatened to end the ceasefire if all Israeli hostages were not freed by noon on Saturday, and raised the stakes with a proposal to take control of Gaza and expel its population.
